OAM System for LTE-U and Wi-Fi Operation and Coexistence Deployment

• US 20150288809A1
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Liang, Huarui, Tabet, Tarik, Belghoul, Farouk, Zhang, Dawei
• Granted Patent: US 9,462,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

This disclosure relates to operation and management of cellular communication systems including cells and access points operating in unlicensed frequency bands. According to some embodiments, a base station in a network may receive operation and management policy information, including information for configuring network elements operating in unlicensed frequency bands. The policy information may include information for coordinating network elements operating in unlicensed frequency bands in a manner configured to reduce interference in the unlicensed frequency bands. The base station may provide configuration information to one or more network elements in the network operating in unlicensed frequency bands. The configured network elements may operate in the unlicensed frequency bands in accordance with the configuration information.

Claims

1. A method for managing a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving operation and management (OAM) policy information at a first base station, wherein the first base station is a network element in a first wireless service provider'"'"'s network, wherein the OAM policy information is received from an OAM entity of the first wireless service provider'"'"'s network;

providing to a second base station, by the first base station, information for configuring the second base station according to the OAM policy information, wherein the second base station is a network element in a first wireless service provider'"'"'s network, wherein the second base station is configured to wirelessly communicate on an unlicensed frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information for configuring the second base station comprises an activation or deactivation indication.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information for configuring the second base station comprises an indication of a frequency on which to operate.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first base station is a macro eNodeB configured to provide wireless communication services via LTE,

wherein the second base station comprises one or more of:

a small cell configured to provide wireless communication services in the unlicensed frequency band via LTE;

or

an access point configured to provide wireless communication services in the unlicensed frequency band via Wi-Fi.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the first base station, neighbor information from one or more user devices, wherein the neighbor information comprises, for one or more neighbor base stations of the first base station including the second base station, one or more of;

identification information;

operation frequency information;

or

interference information;

providing, by the first base station, the neighbor information to the OAM entity of the first wireless service provider'"'"'s network.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the OAM policy information comprises interference control information configured for managing interference in unlicensed frequency bands, wherein the interference control information is based at least in part on inter-operator coordination information.

7. A cellular base station (BS), comprising:

a radio; and

an processing element operably coupled to the radio;

wherein the radio and the processing element are configured to;

receive operation and management (OAM) policy information, wherein the OAM policy information comprises information for configuring a network element operating in an unlicensed frequency band; and

provide, according to the OAM policy, a first network element with one or more parameters for operating in an unlicensed frequency band.

8. The BS of claim 7,

wherein the OAM policy information comprises information configured to coordination operation of the first network element with one or more other network elements operating in the unlicensed frequency band.

9. The BS of claim 8,

wherein at least a subset of the one or more other network elements are deployed as part of a different network than the first network element.

10. The BS of claim 7,

wherein the one or more parameters comprise a schedule for operating in the unlicensed frequency band.

11. The BS of claim 7,

wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more operating frequencies in the unlicensed frequency band.

12. A method for operating a network element, the method comprising:

by a first network element in a first wireless service provider'"'"'s network;

receiving, from a base station, configuration information for configuring the first network element according to an interference management policy for managing interference in an unlicensed frequency band, wherein the base station comprises a network element in the first wireless service provider'"'"'s network; and

operating according to the configuration information to provide wireless service to one or more user devices in the first wireless service provider'"'"'s network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration information indicates scheduled operating times for the first network element, wherein operating according to the configuration information comprises:

activating and deactivating according to the scheduled operating times.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration information indicates one or more operating frequencies in the unlicensed frequency band, wherein operating according to the configuration information comprises:

providing wireless service at the one or more indicated operating frequencies.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration information comprises information regarding one or more network elements neighboring the first network element, wherein the method further comprises:

coordinating operation of the first network element in the unlicensed frequency band to reduce interference between the first network element and the one or more network elements neighboring the first network element based at least in part on the information regarding the one or more network elements neighboring the first network element.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the one or more network elements neighboring the first network element comprise one or more network elements in a different network than the first network element and/or one or more network elements operating according to a different wireless communication technology than the first network element.

17. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

receiving information regarding one or more network elements neighboring the first network element from the one or more user devices in the first wireless service provider'"'"'s network; and

providing information regarding the one or more network elements neighboring the first network element to the base station, wherein the provided information regarding the one or more network elements neighboring the first network element is usable for updating an operation and management policy for the first wireless service provider'"'"'s network.

18. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

receiving updated configuration information from the base station, wherein the updated configuration information modifies one or more operating parameters for the first network element; and

operating according to the updated configuration information to provide wireless service to one or more user devices in the first wireless service provider'"'"'s network.

19. The method of claim 12,

wherein the first network element comprises an LTE small-cell base station (BS)

20. The method of claim 12,

wherein the first network element comprises a Wi-Fi access point (AP).